Funny moment from Saturday's marquee Anti-NBA Finals game: 0.5 seconds left in the first quarter. New York Knicks inbound the ball to guard Nate Robinson(notes). The New York guard, for whatever reason, turns and purposely heaves a 30-foot shot at the wrong basket. Goes in. Cue hilarity and Mike D'Antoni mustache rage.

Now, as you can see, the shot came just after the buzzer. But still, that didn't stop the Knicks coach from giving Nate a little piece of his mind. D'Antoni was livid. He even stormed a few feet onto the court to yell.

Nate's response: "What? What?"

If that doesn't perfectly sum up the Knicks' 2009-10 season, I don't know what does.

Cheers, Jose3030.

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Orlando at Boston

It could be a three-game night, or it might be a 10-game night. Doesn't matter. Actually, it is a 10-game night. Has no bearing on this. The Magic and Celtics are playing, and you need to watch.

You don't have to do it in real time. It's a Friday night, and someone might want to shower your foyer with rose pedals before feeding you stroganoff. Doesn't matter, tape the darn thing. Watch it tomorrow. Understand that it might go a long way toward giving you an understanding of what goes on in May. These two could go seven next spring, and you're going to want to know why.

You're also going to want to watch it because Orlando and Boston are two highly entertaining teams, squads that shoot well, play D, run the floor when appropriate, while slamming it home or working the baseline reverse scoop while inappropriate.

What else are you going to do? Mess with the head of some wrong number that keeps texting you? Not that this is wrong or anything, but leave the kid alone. They're scared.

10 games tonight. The Blazers are in Oakland to take on the Warriors, Houston and Atlanta will be a killer, Cleveland and Indiana will remind of glorious autumn evenings in the Midwest, Miami and Toronto makes no sense (weren't the Raptors just in Denver?), and Washington and the Oklahoma City Thunder feels like a spring training game between an American and National League team that would never meet in the World Series.

Comment away, down below. Have a lovely weekend.

Boston Celtics: 9-3, 90.9 possessions per game (25^th-most in the NBA), 109.3 points scored per 100 possessions (fifth), 97.7 points allowed per 100 possessions (first).

Orlando Magic: 9-3, 92.2 possessions per game (18^th), 108.9 points scored per 100 possessions (eighth), 102.8 points allowed per 100 possessions (11^th).

All statistics courtesy basketball-reference.com.

A new mural of Cavaliers superstar LeBron James(notes) may be too much for city officials in Cleveland.

And by "too much," I mean too little "Forest City" references and clothing.

The Cleveland Planning Commission tabled Nike's request to replace a massive 10-story mural of James that hangs from an office building across from the Cavaliers' Quicken Loans Arena. Nike wants to replace the famous "We Are All Witnesses" banner with the semi-creepy one pictured above — LeBron, shirtless and lizard-like, "preparing for combat" with nothing more than a cold, hard stare and a basketball.

According to Tom Breckenridge of The Plain Dealer, city design officials rued the fact that "Cleveland" and "Cavaliers" have no presence on the proposed banner. LBJ wears a Cavs jersey on the current mural.

Certain officials also took offense at the excessive skin and "war" reference, especially at a time when U.S. soldiers are fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. (Not to mention Delonte West's latest troubles.)

As such, the committee has decided to shelve the mural request, with a recommendation that Nike come up with "something more positive" and maybe a reference or two to the Cavs or Cleveland.

Good idea. Might I suggest this? (I'm kidding, Cleveland. Relax.)

Cheers, Waiting For Next Year.

A look around the league and the web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.

C: Hooped Up. As far as player video intros go, it just doesn't get any smoother than the Heat's.
PF: D Magazine. An oral history of the big German who rescued professional basketball in Dallas.
SF: With Malice. "Under the stewardship of David Stern, the NBA has done well. More than well."
SG: Celtics Town. This season's Orlando Magic are certainly different, but are they better?
PG: SRI. Don Nelson says he's trying to set the table in Golden State for the coach that follows him.
6th: Clips Nation. A quick talk with Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy.
7th: SellCohan.com. Speaking of Dunleavy, he's not the only one with a petition on his head.
8th: NAS. New Nets' marketing ploys adapted from the names of classic television shows.
9th: Dime. If you're not aware of Shannon Brown's(notes) complete body of work, check out this mixtape.
10th: SI.com. No one in the NBA may have a greater influence on the league than Gregg Popovich.

Got a tip or link for Ball Don't Lie? Hit me up at jeskeets [at] yahoo.ca or follow me on Twitter.

You know, the only thing missing from this silly H-E-B/Spurs commercial is an establishing shot of Matt Bonner taking a large bite out of a bell pepper. Ammirite or ammirite, "Timaican" Duncan?

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76ers guard Jrue Holiday speaks with children during a Thanksgiving event at The Children's Home in Mount Holly, New Jersey. Best caption wins some airline food. Good luck.

After the jump, plate ump Dwight calls safe.

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Monday to Friday, The Basketball Jones look at the big games and story lines from the night before with a mix of in-depth analysis and irreverent humor. As always, questions and comments are appreciated.

On today's show, Skeets and Tas detonate the TNT double-header. How big was the Hornets win over the Suns? What effect is Coach Bower having on his team? Has Pau's return made the Lakers the team to beat? All that, plus Tas starts a Twitter war with Stephon Marbury(notes), a Celtic "wins" Wanker of the Week honors and Kelly Dwyer sings for Kobe.

Embrace the weekend (and Notis Sfakianakis), people!

Subscribe to the video show on iTunes | Download the .m4v directly
Subscribe to the audio show on iTunes | Download the .mp3 directly

I don't even know where to begin with this gem, so let's get right to the meat of the story. It's about respect, I guess. Or money and power. I can never remember which order they come in. Help me out, guys.

Marv Albert, the veteran NBA announcer for TNT, was a guest on the "Jimmy Kimmel Live" show on Wednesday night. The musical star was rapper 50 Cent. The greenroom appetizer — beef!

Diane Pucin of the Los Angeles Times sets the scene:

As Albert arrived, with an entourage of one, TNT public relations specialist Jeff Pomeroy, there was a sudden scuffle when a multitude of 50 Cent protectors seemed unfamiliar with Albert. There was shouting ("It's Marv Albert," yelled a Kimmel show guard, a pronouncement that seemed to have no effect on the 50 Cent phalanx.) There were obscenities. A fist or two flying. A "Don't you put your hands on me" pronouncement.

And then "The Czar" Mike Fratello showed up with a trident. (No he didn't.)

Instead, 50's entourage realized who they were fighting — it's Marv, for crying out loud! — and cooler heads prevailed. Albert made his way to his dressing room, with toupee intact, but sounded definitely confused by the brouhaha. "Did you see that?" he said. "I thought they were kidding, but then I realized they weren't."

Marvelous.

Cheers, Sportress of Blogitude.

Thursday, it was all but a given that free agent guard Allen Iverson(notes) was going to sign a one-year, $1.3 million deal with the New York Knicks.

In fact, one source close to the team told the New York Times that the percent chance A.I. would sign in New York was in "the high 90s." It was basically a done deal.

Today's forecast? Cloudy, with a 99 percent chance of not-gonna-happen.

Howard Beck of the New York Times:

In an abrupt reversal, Knicks officials decided late Thursday not to offer Iverson a contract, putting an end to their brief flirtation, according to a person close to the deliberations.

Although team officials were highly intrigued by Iverson, a four-time scoring champion, they finally decided that he posed too great a risk because of his long history of problems on and off the court.

Knick owner James Dolan was reportedly hesitant about signing Iverson for the remainder of the season, but said he would not stand in the way if Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni were in favor of the move.

Anyway, more to come on this I'm sure. Like, say, Miami?

Each weekday morning, BDL serves up a handful of NBA-related stories to digest with your poached pears in honey, ginger and cinnamon syrup.

Bill Plaschke, L.A. Times: "Making his season's first appearance after sitting out the first 11 games because of a hamstring injury, Pau Gasol took the Staples Center floor against the Chicago Bulls to an ovation that was less than standing. Folks cheered, but only slightly louder than if he'd been here all along. Gasol scored the game's first basket, and the clapping was polite. He scored the third and fourth points on free throws, and the yawns were evident. He then scored the second basket on a fast break layup placed in the rim with the gentleness of a guard, and finally there was some recognition that this was somebody special returning to something special. Those cheers lasted only as long as it took folks to serenade Kobe Bryant with, 'M-V-P.' Even now, it seems, folks just don't appreciate the value of a guy for whom those same letters could be chanted."

Charles F. Gardner, Journal Sentinel: "Andrew Bogut's value to the Milwaukee Bucks is evident every time he goes out of the lineup. Now the team will have to cope for two to four weeks without the 7-foot center after he suffered a left leg strain and contusion late in the Bucks' 99-85 victory over New Jersey on Wednesday night. The Bucks are off to a surprising 6-3 start behind the steady play of Bogut and rookie point guard Brandon Jennings, and they've been successful despite the absence of injured shooting guard Michael Redd. Just as they are about ready to get Redd back in the starting five, they will be missing their fifth-year big man. 'It's disappointing,' Bucks general manager John Hammond said after results of Bogut's magnetic resonance imaging exam came back on Thursday afternoon. 'Andrew did get off to a very good start. We want him on the floor and we need him on the floor. Obviously it's a concern. But it's our job not to dwell on it, to move forward and find a way to compete.' Veteran centers Dan Gadzuric and Kurt Thomas should play increased minutes in Bogut's absence, and Hammond said, 'It's those players' responsibility now to step up.'"

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